Water throwing apparatus for washing machines



Aug. 11, '1931. s. P. ANs'nss 1,818,029

WATER THROWING APPARATUS FOR WASHING MACHINES Original Filed Dec. 17, 1925 Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED ST S PATENT orrlca GEORGE P. ANBTISS, 01? OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO G. S. BLAKESLEE & 60., OF.

WATER THRO' WING APPARATUS FOR WASHING MACHINES Original application filed December 17, 1925, Serial No. 76,031. Divided and this application flle1l Iarch 19, 19228.v Serial No. 262,792.

My invention has to do with apparatus 7 adapted to be used in connection with washing machines for taking u water from a reservoir, usually a tank in t e lower portlon of the washin machine, and distributing it forcibly over t e articles to be washed, whlch may be either dishes or any other articles that may be washed by that means. It has for its object to provide improved apparatus for the purpose stated which will operate more efii ciently than prior devices of like character, not only with regard to the distribution of the water, but also as to economy of operation. I accomplish this object as illustrated in the drawings and as hereinafter described.

prising a tank adapted to contain wash water regard as new is set forth in the or rinsing water. or both, over which extends a support for the articles to be washed, or for baskets containing such articles, in the form of parallel rails at opposite sides of a washing or rinsing compartment which is disposed over the tank,

Fig. 1 is a partial transverse vertical section of the washing machine;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the units composing the water throwing means, in the form of a paddle wheel adapted to be mounted on a rotary shaft; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial longitudinal vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. 1

I have illustrated my invention as embodied in a washing machine of the type shown and described in my pending application, Serial No. 76,031, filed December 17, 1925, of which application this is a division, and in such illustration 4 indicates a tank which constitutes the lower portion of the washing machine, said tank being preferably supported by suitable legs 5, one of which is shown in Fig. 1. Said tank is provided with the usual means for supplying it with hot water and for maintaining the water therein at the proper level, and it will be understood that any suitable devices for such purposes may be employed. In' the illustrated construction, 6 indicates an overflow pipe for limiting the height of the water inthe tank, and 7 indicates a valved outlet pipe for drawing off the water.

Extending longitudinally of the machine at one side thereof and at a point above the level of the water in the tank are rails 8, 9, which in the machine illustrated are designed to support baskets andpermit them to be moved along the tank. In such machines the articles are usually introduced at one end of the machine, and after passing thrbugh washing and rinsing compartments are withdrawn at the other end, but in some machines they are introduced and withdrawn at' the same end. So far as my present invention is concerned, either of the above arrangements may be employed, or the articles may be moved through the machine on a traveling conveyor, as is common in washing machines.

Also arranged longitudinally of the machine at one side thereof, and somewhat above the normal water level, is a shaft 10 suitably journaled in bearings 11, 12 mounted on the end members 13, 14 of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3. One end of said shaft extends outside'of the housin and carries a pulley 15 over which runsa elt 16 driven preferably by an electric motor mounted on the machine. By this means the shaft 10 may be rotated at high speed.

The shaft 10 carries one or more water throwing units spaced 8. distance apart, as,

10 to rotatetherewith. For this purpose the disc is provided, preferably at one side only,

with a hub 18 bored to fit on the shaft 10,

and provided with a set screw 19 by which it may be secured non-rotatably thereto. The disc 17 is provided at each side with one or more blades or buckets 20 in the form of trough-like channel plates substantially U- shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 2, and preferably disposed tangentially, or nonradially, with respect to the outer surface of the hub 18,that is to say, each plate is disposed so that the bottom of its channel lies in a line that is substantially tangential, or non-radial, with reference to the hub 18. Furthermore, the channels are open at their outer ends, and each blade extends from the hub outward substantially to the margin of the disc 17, and is so arranged that its outer end lies ahead of its inner end as the disc rotates. As will be readily apparent, by pro-- vidingithe open end channel and arranging the blade on the disc in the manner descri ed, as the disc is rotated the outer end of the blade is caused to enter the water first, so that it will dip into the water gradually, and the water will enter the channel freely. If the blade were arranged on the disc with the bot tom of its channel lying in a line that is radial to-the axis of the hub 18 the blade would strike the water approximately squarely and would have a tendency to tra air as it struck the surface of the water. Also, it would require a much greater expenditure of power to operate a paddle wheel equipped with a number of such blades if they struck the water approximately squarely instead of adually as in the present construction. ig. 1 illustrates how the outer end of the blade strikes the water first and the rest of the blade gradually enters the water as the disc rotates.

The blades 20 are preferably secured to the disc 17 by a weldin operation, the innermar- 'nal portion 21 0 each blade being welded tfiiroughout its length to the disc, as best shown in Fi 2. I find that the best results are obtaine by roviding the disc 17 with three of the blades 20 at each side spaced equally distant apart, with the blades at one side of said disc in staggered relation to the blades at the opposite side thereof. I thus provide adevice, that may be termed a paddle wheel, which rotates smoothly when in operation, since the tangential, or non-radial, disposition of the blades, and the stag er ed rela tion of the blades at one side of the use with reference to those at the other side thereof, contribute to the movement of the blades into the water without shock, and equalize the retially parallel with the face or side thereof,

and it will be evident that the outer side marginal ortions 22 of these troughs will minimize t e tendency for the water to be thrown laterally away from the side of the disc and will direct it toward the open outer ends of the troughs, so that the'water will be thrown outwardly with great force and in large volume from the outer ends of the channels as the disc rotates. The result is that the paddle wheel operates very smoothly and efiiciently, and the power required for operating it is much less than for any other paddle wheel that I know of of equal water throwing capacity. While, as above stated, I prefer to provide three blades at each side of the disc 17, my invention is not limited to the use of that number, as one or more of such blades may be used at each side. But however many may be used, the blades at one side of the disc 17 should be disposed in staggered relation to those at the other side thereof.

The paddle wheel is designed to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, so that the blades at the side of the shaft 10 remote from the articlesto be washed take up the water and throw it upwardly and across the washing or rinsing compartment, and consequently upon them, but to more effectively direct the water upon the articles to be washed I provide a deflecting plate 23 that extends diagonall upward and inward over the shaft 10 and t e paddle wheels carried by it, as best shown in Fig. 1. The upper portion of said plate carries a deflector 24 disposed generally in a horizontal position and having an angular lip 25 that is inclined inward and downward, as shown in said fi ure. This deflector serves to divert the ying water from a generally upward course, and directs it laterally into the washing compartment over and against the articles therein, the lip 25 serving also to direct the water slightly downward so that it impinges more directly on the articles.

Associated with each paddle wheel is a curved guide 26 in the form of a semi-circular plate slightly wider than the over-all width of the paddle wheel, as best shown in Fig. 3, and extending around the lower half of the paddle wheel at a short distance from the periphery of the disc 17, as shown in Fig. 1. One end of said guide is secured to one of the walls 27 of the tank, and the other end thereof is secured to a bar 28 that extends longitudinally of the tank and is suitabl supported by the end walls 13, 14 thereo This provides a convenient way of securing the several guides 26 in position, but any other suitable means for the purpose may be employed. This guide functions to cause the water to a large extent to flow laterally to the blades of the paddle wheel, or, in other words, the water moves towards the sides of the paddle wheel, and therefore the blades strike the water more gradually, thus contributing further to the avoidance ofl shock and vibration.

time takes up the water and throws it in comparatively solid volume forcibly over upon thearticles to be washed. While I prefer to make the channel plates rounded in cross-section, as shown in the drawings, my 5 invention is not limited to makin them of that contour, as they may be ma e of any other suitable shape. Also, I wish it to be understood that my improved paddle wheel is not limited to use in washing machines of 10 the type illustrated, but may be used in, any

other situation for which it is adapted. What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A water throwing apparatus for washing 1s machines comprising a rotary disc-like support, and plates provided with outwardly extending channels secured to said support at opposlte sides thereof with the bottoms of the channels lying parallel with said disczc'like support, the plates at one side of the support being staggered with relation to those at the opposite side thereof, said channels being open at their outer ends and being arranged with their outer ends in advance of 25 their inner ends as the support rotates.

GEORGE P. ANSTISS. 

